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Hawaii Senate Schedules Carleton Ching Confirmation Vote

The state Senate is planning to vote Wednesday on whether to confirm Castle & Cooke lobbyist Carleton Ching to serve as head of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The vote will take place during the Senate floor session at 11:30 a.m. at the Hawaii State Capitol. It will also be broadcast live on Olelo channel 49 on Oahu, Na Leo on Hawaii Island, Akaku on Maui, and Hoike on Kauai.

The Senate Water and Land Committee voted last week to recommend against confirming Ching. The committee received 1,120 pieces of written testimony in opposition to Ching compared with 272 pieces of supportive testimony. In addition, 7,596 people signed a petition opposing Ching.

Castle & Cooke lobbyist Carleton Ching on the second day of his state Senate confirmation hearing for chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Sen. Laura Thielen, who chairs the committee, wrote a detailed committee report explaining why the committee rejected Ching. She describes specific answers he gave during last week’s hearing that revealed his lack of experience in natural resource conservation.

“A nomination to the position of Chairperson of the BLNR is too important to risk to an improbable candidate having no background in conservation, environmental protection, and historic preservation,” she wrote.

Thielen’s analysis reflects fears by numerous environmental groups who argue that Ching doesn’t have the appropriate background to lead the agency that makes key decisions about Hawaii’s conservation land and oceans.

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